How to bluff online.

[Percyball]

Bluffing could be the most known word in poker. There’s a general idea that it is not possible to bluff during an online poker game. Most people believe this is impossible and although it is true that online bluffing may be more difficult and not quite as effective, it does not mean you cannot make it happen.

In order to master the online bluffing art, you must first become aware of the three different types of bluffing you can use to your advantage during an online poker game.

First of all there’s the semi-bluff. It consists on betting on a hand that is worthless at the time but has the potential to turn into something better. It is considered a bluff because the hand is currently worthless but at the same time you can foresee its real potential when it turns into something you can use later on the game. As you gain experience with online poker, you will become better at picking the right moments to semi-bluff your competition.

Then there’s the straight bluff, this is when you lay it all on the line without hesitation. To put it in other words, is when you bet a large amount of money all the time when you know your hand is absolutely worthless or doesn’t have no chance of winning. Once again, as you get better you will learn when is the best moments to pull this one off.

You also have to possibility to bet in two parts. This can be quite effective and if you master this technique it can generate you a lot of winnings. To do this, you will want to raise your competition in the initial round of bets. The purpose of this is to make your competition believe that you have a hand that could turn into a winner. You must raise enough so that you can trick some of the players at the table into folding, this will eliminate some of your competition right away. After getting your new cards, toss a lot of money in so that the other players think that you pulled what you need. It takes a lot of skill, but mastering this technique will make you a better online poker player.

The only way to get good at bluffing is to practice. At first it may seem hard but over time you will learn when to bluff as well as how to read bluffs. Both aspects will make you more successful and hopefully wealthier as well.

See you at the tables,

P-ball

 

[blankoblanco]

Also, it helps to study your opponent first and figure out if they're a calling station or not. One of the most standard notes I make on players I observe is whether I think they're realistically bluffable or not.

 

[wsorbust]

...don't kid yourself. You can't bluff online anymore. Mostly everyone's a donk calling station.

 

[Tammy]

Nice post Percyball. I wonder if this is an article you found, or if you wrote it? If it's an article from someone else, it would be great if you could credit the author.

...don't kid yourself. You can't bluff online anymore. Mostly everyone's a donk calling station.

In some cases, sure. But sometimes a well laid bluff takes a couple of streets to really be effective. Someone chasing the flush/straight draw/whatever after the flop may not be so inclined to call when the turn comes up a blank. Of course this is HUGELY read dependent on your opponents, position, stack sizes, etc.

 

[Stefanicov]

...don't kid yourself. You can't bluff online anymore. Mostly everyone's a donk calling station.

This is so not true bluffing is 30% of my game and tho you get called a few times by a callin station all you got to do is not bluff at him again. Most players will give up hnds if the bluff is

1. timed right
2. believable ( if your betting doesnt match your bluff u gonna get called)

this is my opion tho prob wrong

 

[Beriac]

Well, it depends who you're playing.

If we're talking about micro cash tables, that's one thing. If we're in the mid-to-late stages of a MTT or SNG or a higher-stakes cash game, then people are paying attention to you and not all of them will be calling stations.

Subject to that, I think Stefanicov his the nail on the head:

- Timing: Don't try to bluff someone who is pot-committed, short-stacked with large blinds approaching soon, a calling station, etc etc
- Believability: Make sure your bluff makes sense in the context of your betting pattern that hand... personally, I think a flushy board when playing against 1 opponent or a paired board if playing against 2 make the best bluffs
- Believability: Make sure your bluff makes sense in the context of your play generally... consider your own table image before making a bluff, recalling that the players around you have not seen your hole cards in uncontested won pots